Sky Fall to Liberty

It was a tale of two halves for the Chicago Sky as they came out
looking like the team that has won three in a row, holding New York
Liberty star and Sky killer Cappie Pondexter to just six points.

With a nine point lead in the third quarter, it was looking like the
Sky would be able to pull out a victory for the first time in four
contests against New York. However, with some defensive adjustments
and a more aggressive Pondexter, New York was able to hold onto the
79-71 victory.

The shots were falling for the Sky in first half, shooting 57 percent
from the field. Sylvia Fowles led the team with nine points in the
half, but had trouble getting into a rhythm in the second, finishing
with 12 points and 16 boards. Epiphanny Prince once again provided
bench support, finishing with 14 points. When the Sky looked to get
back in the game, it was Prince taking the ball to the hoop.

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The loss drops the Sky record to 11-12, with all 12 losses coming to
the Eastern Conference. With a 5-0 mark versus the West, the Sky will
need to take advantage of their next seven games, six of which are
against the Western Conference teams.

Taj McWilliams-Franklin recorded 18 points for the Liberty on 8-of-11
shooting. Pondexter finished with 16. With the slow start by Pondexter
Liberty Head Coach Ann Donovan knew the rest of her team had to step
up.

"I was really pleased when a team can be that focused on shutting
Cappie down and everyone else stepped up,” Donovan said. “They forced
her to pass the ball, so to see other people step up was exciting."

The Sky will be fighting for the final playoff spot as the season
winds down. Currently, they are two games back of fourth place
Connecticut and with Friday’s loss, one game behind New York.
“We’re going to try to win as many games as we can to get into the
race,” McWilliams-Franklin said. “This isn’t the West where our record
and Chicago’s record we would be second or third, we’re trying to get
into the race. Every step we take we are trying to get into the
playoffs.”